Track ballast levelling apparatus

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a track ballast levelling apparatus (1) comprising a machine frame (15) which is movable on rail bogies (14) and with which a levelling apparatus adjustable relative to the machine frame (15) and a sweeping device adjustable relative to the machine frame (15) are associated, wherein the levelling apparatus has a central plough (23) and two flank ploughs (24) and the sweeping device has a rotatably driven ballast-sweeping brush (2, 12) for sweeping away track ballast. and wherein the machine frame (15) is optionally assigned a ballast conveying device associated with the ballast-sweeping brush (2, 12) and a ballast silo (3) with ballast chutes (9, 10) for ballasting the track. In order to create advantageous maintenance conditions, it is proposed that the ballast-sweeping brush (2, 12) is mounted in a rotationally driven manner in a sweeping brush housing (13) which is mounted so as to be pivotally adjustable about a machine vertical axis with respect to the machine frame (15) between a sweeping position and a maintenance position by means of a rotating device (6).

The invention relates to a track ballast levelling apparatus having amachine frame movable on rail bogies, with which a levelling deviceadjustable relative to the machine frame and a sweeping deviceadjustable relative to the machine frame are associated, wherein thelevelling device comprises a central plough and two flank ploughs andthe sweeping device comprises a rotationally driven ballast-sweepingbrush for sweeping away track ballast, and wherein the machine frame isoptionally associated with a ballast-conveying device associated withthe ballast-sweeping brush and a ballast silo with ballast chutes forballasting the track.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Such a track ballast levelling apparatus for ballasting a track is knownfrom U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,547. A ballast plough, which is adjustable inheight by means of drives and is arranged below the machine frame, isfollowed by a total of three sweeping brush housings, which are spacedapart from one another and each have a rotationally driven sweepingbrush. At the front end of the machine frame there is a further sweepingbrush for replacement with a sweeping brush worn out by work ng in thesweeping brush housing. The manipulative effort required for this isrelatively high, since the sweeping brush having a large number ofelastic tubes is correspondingly heavy. In the event that the trackbeing swept is located between two neighbouring tracks that are beingused without restriction, serious safety problems arise in connectionwith the replacement of the sweeping brush.

AT 395 875 discloses a sweeping apparatus consisting of three separatesweeping brushes arranged side by side in the transverse direction ofthe track and individually lowerable towards the track.

The known sweeping brushes have a preferred working direction. While thecentral plough of track ballast levelling apparatuses can be designed towork in both working directions, this does not apply to the sweepingbrushes.

From EP 2 775 035 track ballast levelling apparatuses are known, whichhave a ballast sweeping device, a steep conveyor belt and a ballastsilo.

EP 0 787 858 describes two bearing arms for supporting the brush shaft,which are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction ofthe machine and are connected to the machine frame, and which haveholding devices for intermediate storage of the brush shaft tofacilitate replacement of the sweeping brush. The holding device ismounted in a transversely displaceable manner and is connected to atransverse displacement drive. In order to ensure that differentsweeping requirements can be met, up to three different equippedsweeping brushes are carried along with the machine. These differaccording to the type of sleepers. In addition, on high-speed lines theballast between the sleepers is swept out deeper so that there is noballast turbulence or ballast being knocked loose from the intermediatecompartment by ice breaking loose from the trains during winteroperaton.

The exchange of sweeping brushes is complicated with the known devices,since drives must be dismantled, the sweeper shaft loosened and removedfrom the sweeper shaft housing and exchanged for another one. This isaggravated by the fact that the sweeper shaft is heavy and the exchangetakes a lot of time.

Track ballast levelling apparatuses must ballast a track several timesdepending on the maintenance work and level the ballast. Finally, thespecified ballast profile must be produced and the ballast swept off thesleepers. Since the current ballast-sweeping brushes can only sweep inone direction of work, the machine must back up to complete the work andperform the final levelling with sweeping. If sweeping could be done inboth directions, then time would be saved and the work would be donemore efficiently and cost effectively.

Work on the track is characterized by increasingly shorter trackpossessions. If wooden sleeper sections and concrete sleeper sectionslie one behind the other during maintenance work, then the sweepingbrush must be replaced in each case. There is often not enough time todo this, which is why in such a case a track of this type cannot beworked on in a single shift.

The sweeping brush housings are protected against wear by replaceablewear plates. If these are worn, then they must be replaced. This is verydifficult to do on site due to the difficult accessibility of the insideof the sweeping brush housing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide anapparatus with a sweeping brush, which permits an advantageous change ofthe ballast-sweeping brush. According to an advantageous furtherdevelopment of the invention, sweeping is to be possible in bothdirections of travel of the track ballast levelling apparatus.

The invention solves the problem posed in that the ballast-sweepingbrush is mounted in a rotationally driven manner in a sweeping brushhousing, which is mounted with a rotating device so as to be pivotallyadjustable about a machine vertical axis with respect to the machineframe between a sweeping position and a maintenance position.

With the rotating device for the sweeping brush housing according to theinvention, sweeping can be performed in both directions when theballast-sweeping brush is pivoted by rotating the sweeping brush housingby 180° about a machine vertical axis, i.e., a vertical axis. To replacethe ballast-sweeping brush, the sweeping brush housing is rotated 90° tothe left or right. This considerably improves accessibility, whichfacilitates the replacement of the sweeping brushes, but also thereplacement of worn brush hoses or the replacement of worn wear plates,which are thus easy accessible from the machine frame side. With the aidof a pivotable transfer device, the sweeper shaft can be picked up andpivoted outwards after the connection to the sweeper brush housing hasbeen released. A simple lifting device can then be used to place thesweeping brush on the machine. Using the same lifting device, anothersweeping brush is picked up and deposited into the transfer device. Thesweeping brush is then pivoted into the sweeping brush housing andmounted.

Depending on space requirements or operation on adjacent tracks, thesweeping brush housing can be turned to the correspondingly safer oreasier-to-use side. In addition, the sweeping brush housing in thesweeping position can be connected flush to a material guide downstreamof the ballast-sweeping brush in the direction of sweeping in order tobe able to ensure clean removal of the swept ballast. The material guideconnected to a suitable conveying device and can be displaced with theconveying device from the conveying position away from the sweepingbrush housing in order to be able to pivot the sweeping brush housinginto the maintenance position.

Advantageous further developments of the invention will be apparent fromthe subclaims and the drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the drawing, the subject matter of the invention is shown by way ofexample, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a track ballast levelling apparatus,

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the sweeping brush housing arranged in themachine frame and an associated steep belt conveyor in the sweepingposition raised from the track,

FIG. 3 shows the track ballast levelling apparatus of FIG. 2 withsweeping brush housing and steep belt conveyor in maintenance position,

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a design variant with sweeping brush housingand associated cross-conveyor belt in sweeping position raised from thetrack,

FIG. 5 shows the track ballast levelling apparatus of FIG. 4 withsweeping brush housing and cross-conveyor belt in maintenance positionand

FIG. 6 shows the track ballast levelling apparatus shown in FIG. 4 withthe sweeping brush housing pivoted through 180° for sweeping backwards.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a track ballast levelling apparatus which can be moved onrails 7 via a machine frame 15 mounted on bogies 14. The cab 22 servesas a driving cab and as a working cab. The centre plough 23 can be usedto plough ballast into the centre of the track, out of the centre of thetrack, and from left to right or vice versa. Flank ploughs 24 can beused to pull ballast up from the flank and feed it to the centre ploughfor distribution. Interchangeable ballast-sweeping brushes 21 aremounted on the machine. These can be deposited or lifted in the track bythe crane 20 and placed on the machine. A ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12arranged in a sweeping brush housing 13 can pick up ballast from thetrack. The ballast can be temporarily stored in a silo 3 via a steepconveyor belt 4. The stored ballast can be returned to the track viaballast chutes 9, 10. The machine operates in the indicated workingdirection A.

The ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 is rotatably mounted in the sweepingbrush housing 13, which is mounted with a rotating device 6 so as to bepivotally adjustable between a sweeping position (FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 6)and a maintenance position (FIGS. 3 and 5) about a machine vertical axiswith respect to the machine frame (15). In the present exemplaryembodiment, the rotating device 6 comprises a turntable with a rotarydrive.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a section of the track ballast levellingapparatus 1 with a working direction A, having a ballast-sweeping brush2, 12, a silo 3 and a steep conveyor belt 4. The track ballast levellingapparatus can be moved with the frame 15 via bogies 14 on the rails 7,which are mounted on sleepers 8. Ballast can be discharged from the silo3 into the track via ballast chutes 9, 10 next to the rails on theinside and outside. The ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 which is radiallyequipped with sweeping hoses is seated n the sweeping brush housing 13.The material guide 11 of the sweeping brush housing 13 is connected tothe steep conveyor belt 4 and can be uncoupled from the sweeping brushhousing 13. In the sweeping position, the sweeping brush housing 13 isconnected to a material guide 11 arranged downstream of theballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 in the sweeping direction, which materialguide 11 belongs to a feed area of a steep conveyor belt 4, wherein thesteep conveyor belt 4 and the material guide 11 are arranged on themachine frame (15) so as to be displaceable between the sweepingposition (FIG. 2) and a maintenance position (FIG. 3) releasing apivoting range for the sweeping brush housing 13 by means of anadjusting drive not shown in greater detail. The material guide 11 isdisplaceable with the steep conveyor belt 4 in working direction A fromthe sweeping position into the maintenance position. Theballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 is lowered into the track via parallellinks 5. By means of a rotating device 6 the sweeping brush housing 13can be turned by ±180° from the staffing position shown in FIG. 2 inorder to be able to easily reverse the sweeping direction. Depositedballast-sweeping brushes 21 can be manipulated with the crane 20.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a track ballast levelling apparatus 1 inworking direction A with a ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12, a silo 3 and asteep conveyor belt 4. The material guide 11 is connected to the steepconveyor belt 4 and can be moved forward with the steep conveyor belt 4to make room for the rotation of the sweeping brush housing 13. Therotation can be performed by a dedicated drive or by hand via therotating device 6. The sweeping brush housing is shown in FIG. 3 rotated90° with respect to the working direction. The brush hoses 12, thesweeping brush 2 and the wear pates are freely accessible. Theballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 can be installed and removed laterallypivotable support arm 16. After loosening the fastening of theballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 the ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 can beswung outwards from the sweeping brush housing 13 into a transferposition by means of the support arm 16 of a transfer device arrangedlaterally on the machine frame 15 and there lifted by means of a liftingdevice 20 fastened to the frame and stowed on the machine. A newballast-sweeping brush 21 can be installed in reverse order.

FIG. 4 schematically shows a track ballast levelling apparatus 1 whichhas a cross-conveyor belt instead of the steep conveyor belt and thesilo. The cross-conveyor belt 18 and the material guide 11 are arrangedon the machine frame 15 so as to be displaceable by means of anadjusting drive between the sweeping position (FIG. 4) and a maintenanceposition (FIG. 5) clearing a pivoting range for the sweeping brushhousing 13. In this case, the ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 is providedwith a conveyor belt arranged transversely to the longitudinal directionof the track, which discharges the ballast picked up by theballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 to the left or right of the track. Thematerial guide 11 is in turn displaceable with the transverse conveyorbelt 18 in the working direction A from the sweeping position to themaintenance position.

In FIG. 5, the sweeping brush housing 13 is rotated 90° to themaintenance position, and the material guide 11 is again decoupled fromthe sweeping brush housing 13 by the transverse conveyor belt 18 andmoved forward to allow the rear sweeping brush housing to rotate.Dismantling of a worn ballast-sweeping brush 2, 12 and replacement witha new ballast-sweeping brush 21 is carried out with the aid of thesupport arm 16 of a transfer device arranged laterally on the machineframe 15 in an analogous manner as described in FIG. 3.

In FIG. 6, the ballast-sweeping brush 2 is arranged in the machine frame15 rotated by 180°, which makes it possible to work with theballast-sweeping brush in both directions. Such a position can also beachieved with the device in FIGS. 2 and 3.

1. A track ballast levelling apparatus comprising: a machine frame thatis movable on rail bogies (14); and a levelling device that isassociated with and adjustable relative to the machine frame; and asweeping device that is associated with and adjustable relative to themachine frame; wherein the levelling device has a central plough and twoflank ploughs, and the sweeping device has a rotatably drivenballast-sweeping brush sweeping away track ballast; and wherein theballast-sweeping brush is mounted in a rotationally driven manner in asweeping brush housing mounted so as to be pivotally adjustable by arotating device about a machine vertical axis with respect to themachine frame between a sweeping position and a maintenance position. 2.The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein thesweeping brush housing in the sweeping position adjoins a material guidethat is arranged downstream of the ballast-sweeping brush in a sweepingdirection and that is associated with a feed region of a steep conveyorbelt, wherein the steep conveyor belt and the material guide arearranged on the machine frame so as to be displaceable by an adjustingdrive between the sweeping position and a maintenance position releasinga pivoting range for the sweeping brush housing.
 3. The track ballastlevelling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the material guide isdisplaceable with the steep conveyor belt in a working direction fromthe sweeping position into the maintenance position.
 4. The trackballast levelling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein theballast-sweeping brush is displaceable out of the sweeping brush housinginto a transfer position in the maintenance position by a support arm ofa transfer device arranged laterally on the machine frame.
 5. The trackballast levelling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a liftingdevice is supported on the machine frame, said lifting device providingmovement of the ballast-sweeping brush between a transfer position and astorage position on the machine frame.
 6. The track ballast levellingapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sweeping brush housing inthe sweeping position adjoins a material guide arranged downstream ofthe ballast-sweeping brush in a sweeping direction, and said materialguide is associated with a feed area of a transverse conveyor belt. 7.The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 6, wherein thetransverse conveyor belt and the material guide are displaceablyarranged on the machine frame by an adjusting drive between the sweepingposition and a maintenance position releasing a pivoting range for thesweeping brush housing.
 8. The track ballast levelling apparatusaccording to claim 7, wherein the material guide is displaceable withthe transverse conveyor belt in the working direction (A) from thesweeping position into the maintenance position.
 9. The track ballastlevelling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sweeping brushhousing is mounted so as to be pivotally adjustable by at least 90° by arotary drive.
 10. The track ballast levelling apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein the sweeping brush housing is mounted on the machineframe so as to be vertically adjustable by a lifting drive.
 11. Thetrack ballast levelling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein themachine frame is assigned a ballast conveying device associated with theballast-sweeping brush and a ballast silo with ballast chutes ballastingthe track.
 12. The track ballast levelling apparatus according to claim5, wherein the lifting device is a crane.
 13. The track ballastlevelling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sweeping brushhousing is mounted so as to be pivotally adjustable by at least 180° bya rotary drive.
 14. The track ballast levelling apparatus according toclaim 2, wherein the ballast-sweeping brush is displaceable out of thesweeping brush housing into a transfer position in the maintenanceposition by a support arm of a transfer device arranged laterally on themachine frame.
 15. The track ballast levelling apparatus according toclaim 3, wherein the ballast-sweeping brush is displaceable out of thesweeping brush housing into a transfer position in the maintenanceposition by a support arm of a transfer device arranged laterally on themachine frame.
 16. The track ballast levelling apparatus according toclaim 4, wherein the sweeping brush housing in the sweeping positionadjoins a material guide arranged downstream of the ballast-sweepingbrush in a sweeping direction, and said material guide is associatedwith a feed area of a transverse conveyor belt.
 17. The track ballastlevelling apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the sweeping brushhousing in the sweeping position adjoins a material guide arrangeddownstream of the ballast-sweeping brush in a sweeping direction, andsaid material guide is associated with a feed area of a transverseconveyor belt.
 18. The track ballast levelling apparatus according toclaim 15, wherein the sweeping brush housing in the sweeping positionadjoins a material guide arranged downstream of the ballast-sweepingbrush in a sweeping direction, and said material guide is associatedwith a feed area of a transverse conveyor belt.